Best 3.5mm Microphones: Check TRS or TRRS Before You Buy
A TRS plug is for cameras and recorders, TRRS for phones and laptops. Ten lavalier and on-camera microphones, with the plug and the adapter each one needs.
For a phone or a laptop, the simple buy is a clip-on microphone with a TRRS plug: the Sennheiser XS Lav Mobile at about $55, or the Boya BY-M1 at about $33 if you want six metres of cable. For a camera, the Rode VideoMicro II at about $89 has both kinds of cable in the box, so it works with a phone as well.
The 2021 version of this page said 3.5mm microphones were taking over from USB. It went the other way. Phones have been losing the headphone socket ever since, so check the plug and the socket before anything else. We went through each maker’s own product page for the plug, the pickup pattern, the cable, the power and the price. Nothing here was listened to, so there is no opinion below on how any of them sounds.
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TRS or TRRS
Two 3.5mm plugs look almost alike and are wired differently. Rode’s guide to 3.5mm microphones puts it this way:
- TRS has two rings on the plug. It is the connector on cameras and audio recorders.
- TRRS has three rings. It is the connector on computers and mobile devices, and it carries the headphone output and the microphone input in one socket.
Rode says a mismatch between the two is the usual cause of a microphone that does not work. Sennheiser draws the same line on its MKE 200 page: TRS for DSLR and mirrorless cameras, TRRS for mobile devices.
The fix is a short adapter. Rode sells the SC4, which takes a TRS microphone into a TRRS socket, and the SC3, which goes the other way, at about $19 each. On Rode’s own cables a grey connector is TRRS and a black one is TRS.
Rode adds a warning that applies to every maker. Some phones and computers do not recognise an outside microphone even when the plug is right, and there is no clear rule for which.
If your phone has no headphone socket
Then none of these plugs in directly. Google’s help pages say the only Pixel phones with a 3.5mm socket are the Pixel 3a, 4a and 4a (5G). Apple’s USB-C adapter page lists every iPhone from the iPhone 15 onwards, and Samsung has a support page for Galaxy phones without an earphone socket. There are three ways round it.
- A USB-C or Lightning adapter. Boya sells two for microphones: the BY-K9, USB-C to a 3.5mm TRRS socket, and the BY-K3 for Lightning iPhones up to the iPhone 14, at about $20 each. Rode says to use a Lightning adapter with its smartLav+ on newer iPhones. Apple’s own USB-C to 3.5mm adapter is $9, but Apple describes it for headphones and speakers and does not mention microphones.
- A small USB interface. The Rode AI-Micro, about $89, has two 3.5mm inputs that detect TRS or TRRS by themselves, and it comes with USB-C, USB-A and Lightning cables. Rode calls it the foolproof route.
- A microphone that is USB-C to begin with. Sennheiser sells the XS Lav USB-C for about $69, and the Rode VideoMic GO II below has a USB-C output beside its 3.5mm one.
The microphones compared
Prices are the makers’ own US prices, rounded. Lavalier means a small clip-on microphone.
| Microphone | Kind | Plug | Pickup pattern | Cable | Power | Maker’s price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boya BY-M1 | Lavalier | 3.5mm with a phone and camera switch | Omnidirectional | 6 m | None for a phone, LR44 battery for a camera | about $33 |
| Sennheiser XS Lav Mobile | Lavalier | TRRS | Omnidirectional | 2 m | From the phone or computer | about $55 |
| Shure MVL | Lavalier | TRRS | Omnidirectional | 52 inches, about 1.3 m | From the device | about $76 |
| Rode smartLav+ | Lavalier | TRRS | Omnidirectional | 1.2 m | From the phone | about $89 |
| Rode Lavalier GO | Lavalier | TRS | Omnidirectional | Not given on Rode’s page | Plug-in power | about $89 |
| Boya BY-MM1 | On-camera | TRS and TRRS | Cardioid | Mounts on the camera | No battery | about $37 |
| Rode VideoMicro II | On-camera | TRS, with TRS and TRRS cables in the box | Supercardioid | Two short patch cables | No battery | about $89 |
| Rode VideoMic GO II | On-camera | TRS, plus USB-C | Supercardioid | Mounts on the camera | Plug-in power or USB | about $99 |
| Sennheiser MKE 200 | On-camera | TRS and TRRS cables in the box | Supercardioid | Two coiled cables | No battery | about $100 |
| Rode VideoMic | On-camera | TRS | Supercardioid | Mounts on the camera | 9V battery | about $159 |
An omnidirectional microphone picks up sound from every side, which Rode says makes a clip-on forgiving about where you place it. Cardioid and supercardioid microphones favour what they are pointed at. Rode describes the supercardioid pattern as highly directional.
Plug-in power is a small voltage the camera or recorder sends up the microphone cable. A microphone marked “no battery” needs it, and Rode notes that a few cameras do not supply it. If yours is one of them, buy a microphone with its own battery.
Lavalier microphones for a phone or laptop
Sennheiser XS Lav Mobile, about $55
A TRRS plug on a 2 m cable. Sennheiser says the phone or computer powers it and switches over from the built-in microphone by itself. It also says the plug turns off the device’s own audio output, so for video calls it points you to the USB-C version. Sennheiser’s US store showed the Mobile version as out of stock, so you may need a dealer. Sennheiser XS Lav Mobile on Amazon
Shure MVL, about $76
A TRRS plug on a 52-inch cable, powered by the device. Shure says it works with most Android and iOS devices that have a TRRS socket, or through a CTIA-compliant adapter. Shure MVL on Amazon
Rode smartLav+, about $89
A TRRS plug on a 1.2 m cable, powered from the phone’s socket. For a camera, a recorder or Rode’s Wireless GO transmitter, Rode says it needs the SC3 adapter. Rode smartLav+ on Amazon
The three do the same job, and the Sennheiser has the longest cable for the least money. That is our pick unless you already own Rode cables.
Lavalier microphones for a camera
Boya BY-M1, about $33
It was on the old list and it stays. A switch on the battery pack sets it for a phone or a camera. Boya says phone mode needs no battery and camera mode runs on the LR44 cell in the box. The cable is 6 m, long enough to stand well back from a camera on a tripod. Boya gives the plug only as 3.5mm, and the adapters it sells for this microphone are TRRS. Boya’s store also lists a BY-M1S, about $36, which needs no battery in either mode. Boya BY-M1 on Amazon
Rode Lavalier GO, about $89
A TRS plug that runs on plug-in power. Rode built it for the Wireless GO transmitters and says it suits most recording devices with a TRS microphone input. Rode’s cable guide says a TRS microphone needs the SC4 adapter for a phone or laptop. Its page does not give the cable length. Rode Lavalier GO on Amazon
On-camera microphones
These sit in the camera’s shoe mount and point where the lens points. Three of the five are listed for phones as well as cameras as they come.
Boya BY-MM1, about $37
The cheapest here. Boya lists the plug as 3.5mm TRS and TRRS, a cardioid pattern and no battery. Boya BY-MM1 on Amazon
Rode VideoMicro II, about $89
Rode’s datasheet lists two cables in the box: the SC13, TRS to TRS for cameras, and the SC7, TRS to TRRS for phones. It needs no battery and weighs 39 grams with its mount. Rode VideoMicro II on Amazon
Rode VideoMic GO II, about $99
A TRS output for cameras and a USB-C output for phones and computers. Rode says a phone’s 3.5mm socket needs the SC7 cable, sold separately. Over USB it needs a Rode SC16 or SC17 cable for USB-C devices, or an SC15 or SC19 for Lightning, and Rode warns that a standard USB-C to Lightning cable will not work. Rode VideoMic GO II on Amazon
Sennheiser MKE 200, about $100
Sennheiser packs a TRS cable and a TRRS cable, both coiled and locking, and says it runs without a battery. Sennheiser MKE 200 on Amazon
Rode VideoMic, about $159
Also on the old list, and Rode still sells it. It is the only on-camera microphone here with its own power, a 9V battery, so it suits a camera that supplies no plug-in power. The plug is TRS. It also has a high-pass filter and a two-stage level control. Rode VideoMic on Amazon
Which to pick
- A phone or laptop with a headset socket: the Sennheiser XS Lav Mobile.
- A phone with no socket: the Sennheiser XS Lav USB-C at about $69, which needs no adapter. The cheaper route is the Boya BY-M1 with Boya’s BY-K9 adapter, about $53 for the two.
- A camera, with you standing back from it: the Boya BY-M1, for the 6 m cable and the price.
- A camera some days and a phone on others: the Rode VideoMicro II, because both cables are in the box.
- A camera with no plug-in power: the Rode VideoMic, or the Boya BY-M1 with its battery in.
What happened to the old list
Two of the five stay: the Boya BY-M1 and the Rode VideoMic. The Looyuan condenser microphone and the Power De Wise lavalier were marketplace listings, and we found no maker’s website for either to check a specification against. The Sony ECM-CS3 is left out because we could not confirm on Sony’s own site that it is still sold.
Quick answers
Does a 3.5mm socket support a microphone?
A TRRS socket does: the single headset socket on a phone or laptop carries the microphone input and the headphone output together. A camera’s microphone input is TRS and takes a microphone only.
Should a microphone be TRS or TRRS?
TRRS for a phone, tablet or computer. TRS for a camera or audio recorder. An adapter such as Rode’s SC3 or SC4 converts one to the other.
Why is my 3.5mm microphone not working on my PC?
Rode says a mismatch between TRS and TRRS is the usual cause. It also says you may have to select the microphone as the input in your sound settings, and that some computers do not recognise an outside microphone at all.
Can I plug a 3.5mm microphone into an iPhone?
On a current iPhone, only through an adapter. Rode says its smartLav+ needs a Lightning adapter on newer iPhones, and Apple sells a USB-C adapter for the iPhone 15 and later.
Which 3.5mm microphone is best for a camera?
For a clip-on, the Boya BY-M1 in camera mode. For a microphone on the camera itself, the Rode VideoMicro II.
Prices move, so confirm on the maker’s store before you pay.
